Delhi High Court, Apple growers not to pay commission in Azadpur Mandi

The Delhi High Court granted a major relief to apple growers by rejecting the notification issued by the Delhi government for charging 6 per cent commission from sellers in the Azadpur Mandi. It is the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board which had moved court against the decision of the Delhi government.

From 1998, Himachal Pradesh government was vigorously taking this matter up with the Delhi government and in 2002 it got major breakthrough when Saheb Singh Verma led Delhi government given order to stop taking commission from farmers, but later Government changed in Delhi and Sheila Dixit led Delhi government amended its bylaws to make the six per cent commission valid.

On 18 August 2008, Himachal approached Delhi High Court and on 2nd February 2010 Court given order in Himachal favor. However, Delhi government didn’t implement the court order and again Himachal Pradesh filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court.

Former Horticulture minister Narinder Bragta hailed the decision of Delhi High Court and said that the growers would get a major relief as the apple growers would not have to pay six per cent extra for selling their produce. This commission would now have to be paid by the buyers or the commission agents. Bragta asked state government to implement it immediately. Bragta also lauded the role of Advocate Heminder Lall. Advocate Amit Singh Chauhan, who hails from Chopal, assisted Lall in this case.

Quick to take credit, Agriculture Minister Sujan Singh Pathania claimed that the State Government after assuming the office had taken up this issue vigorously on the directions of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh so as to safeguard the interests of growers and farmers of the State, which had resulted to this landmark judgement. He said that the issue of charging six per cent commission from growers and farmers was lying pending since long which had caused the growers and farmers to bear huge financial loss.

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